XXXX Denies Milton Brewery Might Be Closing

Parent company shoots down union warning the Brisbane icon is at risk.

Image credit: Kelly Hunter (Flickr)

Published on 11 July 2017

by Annelise Answerth

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Lion, the parent company of XXXX, has come out strongly against union claims Brisbane’s iconic brewery may be shutting down.

In a statement to the media, the company said that the “recent claims are false; we are actually hiring five more permanent people right now. There are no job losses or changes. In fact, there will be pay offers on the table – on top of the best pay and work conditions in brewing in Queensland.

“We simply want the ability to bring on additional people in summer when we brew more beer. This is how every other seasonal manufacturer operates, but our current agreement is confusing and prohibitive.”

The statement follows comments made to AAP on Monday by United Voice coordinator Damien Davie, claiming that Lion notified staff in June the iconic Milton brewery would be closing.

The claims come as the brewer conducts talks with union officials over new pay agreements. Davie said some workers had been warned the plant would close if the negotiations to scrap full-time positions in favour of labour hire, part-time and casual positions were unsuccessful.

“The continued push to bring in labour-hire employees and casualise the workforce is the main reason cited by management when threatening workers with closing the plant,” he told AAP.

While the closure of the iconic Milton brewery would be unthinkable for most Brisbane locals, XXXX is already produced in a number of Lion-owned facilities throughout Australia, including the West End Brewery in South Australia and Boags Brewery in Tasmania.

The dispute comes against a background of growing concerns regarding workforce casualisation in Australia.

Just last week, the Fair Work Commission ruled that casual workers across various sectors, including hospitality, retail and childcare, can now ask employers for full-time or part-time employment after working regular hours for more than a year.